$5.6M available for White River Irrigation Project

Tuesday

Nov 20, 2012 at 10:22 AMNov 20, 2012 at 10:25 AM

The first contract for 7,200 feet of pipe was recently completed so the timing of the announcement couldn’t have come at a better time, according to Dennis Carman, director of the White River Irrigation District (WRID).

Leigh Kreimeier, reporter@stuttgartdailyleader.com

The second segment of pipes will be built for the White River Irrigation District’s Grand Prairie Project. The Army Corps of Engineers recently announced $5.6 million has been made available for 2013 construction.

The first contract for 7,200 feet of pipe was recently completed so the timing of the announcement couldn’t have come at a better time, according to Dennis Carman, director of the White River Irrigation District (WRID). The funding requires a local match, which is obtained through a loan from Arkansas Natural Resources Commission and the state bond program.

"This additional funding will allow us to complete the remainder of the pipeline that (will deliver) water from the pump station on the White River at DeValls Bluff to the canal system that starts at the intersection of Webb Lake Road and Firetower Road northwest of DeValls Bluff,” Dennis Carman explained.

This contract should be awarded by May 2013 to be ready for next year's construction season.

With the recent completion of the first pipeline contract and the nearing completion of the contract for the pump station substructure, the WRID was concerned about how much, if any, funding would be available for continuing construction in 2013.

“With this new funding, we will be able to continue construction. We will also be searching for additional funding to complete the pump station which is our next priority,” he said. "I know the hard work and dedicated effort Senator (Mark) Pryor and his staff made to make this funding available under a difficult environment in Washington.”

The funding is an important piece of the puzzle that will lead to the completion of a water delivery system that hopes to provide a dependable supply of irrigation water to the farms in the Grand Prairie region.

“I hear a lot of talk about investing in infrastructure and creating jobs,” Carman said. "It's good to see some of that investment coming to the Grand Prairie Region."

Farmers should also be aware that funding will also be available for on-farm conservation work through the Mississippi River Basin Initiative (MRBI).

“It is about $7.5 million across the area,” he said.

Farmers should contact their local NRCS at (870) 946-3331 or (870) 255-3573 office to apply.